Jack Gallagher recently sat down with Scunthorpe United Assistant Club Secretary Adam Grice, to discuss his upcoming charity bike ride, in aid of Prostate Cancer UK…
The route will see Adam cycle from Yorkshire to Holland alongside Nathan Skidmore and Mick Roden, for a cause which the club holds close to its heart.Grice said: “We’ll be setting off from Oakwell in Barnsley, and eventually ending up in the Amsterdam Arena, which will be 145 miles over the course of two days.
“The first day’s route is just short of 70 miles.
“We set off from Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium, through Wombwell and into Doncaster and then up through Goole and Thorne, leading to us to finish up at the KC Stadium in Hull.
“We then get the overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, which will allow us to get some much needed sleep ready for day two which is just short of 80 miles, and it’s a similar route to last year.”
Grice spoke too about his aims for this year’s ride, and he revealed the team’s hopes to surpass 2015’s total.
“We’ve got a target of £1,000 per person and we are well on course to achieve the required sponsorship amount,” he continued.
“However, it would be a great feeling if we could smash that target and raise towards £5,000.
“With just a week to go until the Grand Depart from Oakwell we have smashed our fundraising target for the charity by raising £3,280. As a collective we would like to thank everyone who has donated to the charity, your support is greatly appreciated.
“Nathan held a charity fundraising evening back in Sunderland where he lives and he raised over £460 – double his intended target. Mick has been working at Kirton Lindsey Surgery and as a result they have donated to the charity.
“We have customised cycling jerseys for the challenge, which replicate the Scunthorpe United home kit for the 2015-16 season.
“Companies from all over the country, including Southern and Redfern Industrial Solutions, Lincolnshire Electrical Wholesalers and JEM Sports Management are just some that are supporting our efforts this summer, and we would like to thank them for their donations.”
Grice added: “We revealed the customised jerseys last week online and they have been really well received. Hopefully we’ll stand out from all the other cyclists during the challenge now.”
The 24-year-old is no stranger to the route from Rotterdam to Ajax’s Amsterdam Arena, having taken part in the challenge last summer, and he feels he’s better equipped to take on the challenge once again this year.
He believes the hours he’s been putting in ahead of the commencement will stand him in good stead when he and his three man team set off from Yorkshire.
“I’m in a better condition than this time last year. I’ve been doing a lot more gym work this year, and I’ve been having spinning sessions with the physios,” he revealed.
“I’ve been in the gym at half past seven most mornings. It’s been a killer to get up for, but you feel a lot better when you’re done.
“The whole team have been really supportive, while bantering me about it at the same time, and that has helped me get through the training.
“Since I started training at the end of January, I’ve lost 8kg, which I’m very happy with. I just need to get out on the bike and get some practice in before we set off now.”
Last week the trio headed to West Yorkshire to get some last minute training in ahead of the challenge.
Adam, Nathan and Mick (along with two members from the Kirton Lindsey cycling club) tackled the hills around Leeds, Harrogate, Otley and Patley Bridge (part of the Tour De France 2014 and Tour De Yorkshire routes) to ensure they were in excellent condition ahead of the challenge.
Grice said: “Riding just short of 100 miles in two days along parts of the 2014 Tour De France route was very tough, especially with some of the inclines we faced along the way.
“The hills around Leeds and Harrogate were far worse than anything we can expect on day one when we set off next Friday.”
There is still time for you to show your support to Adam and the team ahead of next week’s challenge. If you would like to donate to their Just Giving page, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/CycleChallengeSUFC.
Alternatively you can donate by direct from your mobile phone by texting SUFC88 £10 to 70070.
All money donated goes direct to Prostate Cancer UK.
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